Chad collection apparatus



March 12, 1968 M FlSHER 3,372,717

CHAD COLLECTION APPARATUS Filed Jan. 26, 1966 United States Patent Ofiice 3 ,372,717 Patented Mar. 12, 1968 3,372,717 CHAD CQLLECTEQN APPARATUS Fenton M. Fisher, Oakland, Calif., assignor to Friden, Inc, a corporation of Delaware Filed Jan. 26, 1%6, Ser. N 523,055 8 Claims. (Cl. 141325) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A chad collection container having an overflow chamber is removably mounted to the outlet end of a chad chute such that the chute normally covers the overflow chamber. Removal of the chad container from the chad chute uncovers the overflow chamber to enable chad backed up against the outlet end of the chad chute to be deposited in the overflow chamber. Also, a door located at the outlet end of the chute is opened by attaching the chad collection container to the outlet end of the chad chute and is closed by removal of the chad container from the chute.

This invention relates to a chad container which is mounted above a tape perforating mechanism and a chute for directing chad into the container, and more particularly to the construction and arrangement of a chad col lection box and chad discharge chute.

With the advances being made in recent years in highspeed perforating mechanisms for recording media, such as paper tape, the large amount of chad resulting from the perforating of large reels of tape has necessitated large collection containers for the chad, which often must be emptied while the perforating mechanism continues to operate. Several prior art perforators employ chad chutes that direct the chad through a 180 turn and down through a constricted chute into collection containers that are often too small to receive and contain the chad. With this type of construction the chad may jam the chute, whereby the continued operation of the perforator creates a sufiicient force to displace the chute and container and results in the chad being spilled. Accordingly, it is necessary in the high-speed perforators to remove the chad from its place of origin and convey it through a nonjamming duct to a conveniently located collection point where space is available for a large container. It is also desirable that the container be removable for disposing of the chad without the chad being spilled from the container or expelled from the chute while the container is removed.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an improved chad collection apparatus particularly adapted to receive chad from a punch discharging chad upwardly.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a chad collection apparatus for a perforator whereby the chad can be conveyed from its point of origin through a chute without the chad jamming the chute before it reaches the collection container.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved chad collection container including a novel overflow chamber for preventing the spilling of chad from the container when the container is removed for disposing of the chad.

A further object of the invention is to provide a chad conveying chute having a door for closing the discharge end of the chute, which door is normally inelfective to block discharge of chad from the chute into the container, but which becomes effective to close the chute upon removal of the chad collecting container.

In the. present chad collection apparatus a nonjamming duct is provided to convey the chad from its place of origin to its place of collection. According to the preferred embodiment of the invention, a perforator receives paper tape from a reel mounted thereon and punches perforations in the tape to record intelligence. The punches push the chad perforated from the tape through the punch, or die, block into the chad conveying chute. Continuous operation of the perforator forces the chad up through the chute to the chad collection container. The container has an opening in one wall thereof which co-operates with the discharge end of the chute and an interior compartment which is normally isolated from the chute but which will receive chad when the container is removed if the container is filled to capacity. Removal of the collection container will operate a door member that is biased to block the discharge end of the duct and thus prevent spillage of chad from the chute when the container is not in place.

For a fuller understanding of the nature and objects of the invention, reference should be had to the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a partly exploded pictorial view of the chad collection apparatus having the side cover of the chad chute removed to show the interior configuration of the chute and the means for closing the discharge end thereof, and the construction of the chad collection container according to the preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the chad chute and the inlet section of the collection container, and shows the preferred means for mounting the container on the chute while normally blocking the overflow compartment of the container and for normally holding the closing means in its inoperative position; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view of the discharge portion of the chad chute and shows the closing means in its operative position for blocking the outlet of the chute.

The invention is illustrated in the drawing, and more particularly in FIG. 1. It comprises a chad chute, or duct, 10 designed for mounting adjacent the punch, or die, block of a tape perforating mechanism (not shown) and a chad container 18. Preferably, the chad, or chips, punched from the tape are conveyed upwardly through a duct, or passage, 12 of the chute 10'. The passage 12 has a general horn-like, or expanding, configuration, i.e., it increases in cross-sectional area as it: extends from its inlet end 14 to its outlet end 16. Accordingly, it can be seen that as the chad is forced through the passage 12, it continues to move into a larger cross-sectional area of the passage, whereby the chad cannot become jammed in the passage as it often does in a chute having a uniform cross-section throughout its length. In other words, the chad is continuously forced into a larger cross-sectional area of the passage which allows the chad to expand into the larger area which reduces the back pressure on the chad and prevents jamming of the chute. As the chad moves through the passage 12, it is discharged through the exit end 16 into a collection container 18.

In the preferred embodiment of the present invention the collection container comprises a transparent plastic box 18 removably supported on the discharge end of the chute 10. The collection container is preferably constructed from a transparent material, such as plastic, so that an operator can see when it is time to empty the container. However, the container 18 can as easily be constructed from other material, e.g., aluminum, in which case the operator would periodically empty the container. Alternatively, the container could be provided with a second opening or a window, through which it could be seen when the container approaches its capacity. As best seen in FIG. 2, the discharge end 16 of the chute extends a short distance into the chad collection box 18 and provides a support for the box. A C-shaped spring 2% is fastened by any suitable means, such as a screw 22, to a short platform 24 extending from the lower, or inlet, end 14 of chute l0. Incidentally, the fastener 22 may also be used to mount the chute on the punch block (not shown) of the perforator. The C-shaped spring cooperates with a tongue 25 extending from the lower edge of the box 18 and applies a locking force to the box 18 when the box is supported on the chute. The force applied by the C-shaped spring 20 maintain-s the inner surface of the top portion of the box 18 in contact with the uppermost surface of the chute lit). The top portion of the box is provided with a downwardly turned lip 26 which engages behind a ledge 28 provided on the upper corner of the chute for locking the box 13 in place on the chute 10.

With the volume of chad produced by high-speed perforato-rs, the collection containers are often filled to ca; pacity before the operator notices the amount of chad therein and empties the container. The present invention contemplates such an occurrence happening and makes provisions for taking care of the excessive amount of chad. To this end there is provided an overflow chamber which receives the chad that has backed up against the discharge end of the chute. As seen in FIG. 2, the chad collection container 18 is provided with a pair of partitions 30 and 32 that extend between the side walls of the box and define a small chamber, or compartment, 34. As mentioned above, the chute it) extends a short distance into the box 18 and will thus normally cover the overflow chamber 34 so that the chamber does not become filled with chad while the chamber is supported on the chute. However, when the filled collection box 18 is removed from the chute 10, the overflow chamber 34 is uncovered and any chad that has backed up against the discharge end of the chute falls into chamber 34, rather than spilling out of the box.

Other designs for the overflow chamber 34 will be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art. For example, the partition 32 (FIG. 2) could be replaced with a short partition that would angle downward from the discharge opening of the chute to provide a small angular shaped space in the lower corner of the box that would not become filled with chad except when the box is removed.

An important aspect of the invention is the provision of means for blocking or closing the discharge end of the chute in order to prevent spilling of chad from the chute whenever the collection box is removed. In order to prevent spilling o-f chad from the chute, or duct, 10, a gate, or door, 36 (FIGS. 2 and 3) is slidably mounted in grooves 38 provided in the side walls of the chute near the discharge end thereof. Up and down movement of door 36 is controlled by a lever 40 rockably mounted on a pivot bar 44 which is journalled in suitable bearing apertures 42 provided in the side walls of the duct 10. As best seen in FIG. 1, the lever 40 comprises a pair of arms extending forwardly in the chute (to the right in these figures) from the pivot bar 44. The door 36 is carried on the free ends of these arms. A curved arm extends rearwardly and upwardly (to the left in the figures) from the pivot bar 44 through an aperture 46 in the top of the chute 10.

It has previously been mentioned that the top of the chute is held in engagement with the top inner surface of the collection container by the C-shaped spring 20. With the collection box 18 mounted on the discharge chute 10, the top inner surface of the box engages the upwardly curved arm of lever 40 protruding through the aperture 46 and rocks the lever 44 counter-clockwise from the position shown in FIG. 3 to that shown in FIG. 2 and thereby raises the gate 36 to unblock the exit end 16 of the chute 10. Conversely, removing the box 18 from the chute 10 allows a torsion spring 48, carried by the pivot bar 44 in a well-known manner, to rotate the lever 40 (clockwise as seen in FIG. 2) and urge the gate 36 downwardly to block the exit end 16 of chute 10 by moving the gate from the position shown in FIG. 2 to that shown in FIG. 3. In this manner, the discharge end of the chute is closed. With the gate 36 blocking the dis charge end 16 of chute It the chad will not be spilled from the chute while the chad collection box is removed.

A notch 50 (FIG. 1) may be provided in the lip 26 through which the upwardly extending arm of lever 40 can slip when the box 18 is mounted on, or removed from, the chute 10.

The chad may be dumped from the box through the opening provided for the chute or, if it is desired, another opening can be provided in the top wall of the box through which the chad can be emptied. Incidentally, the second opening could be used as an overflow if the box should be filled to capacity.

From the foregoing it should be apparent that the present chad collection apparatus provides a novel and eiiicient manner for removing the chad from its place of origin and transporting it to its place of collection into a chad collection container. It should also be apparent that the chad collection apparatus features means to prevent spillage of the chad from the collection container when it is removed from the chute for emptying and also from the chute when the container is not in place.

Although only one embodiment of the invention is shown in the drawing and described in the foregoing specification, it will be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific embodiment described. Since certain changes may be made in the above construction with out departing from the scope of the invention, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description, or shown in the accompanying drawing, shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for collecting chad comprising:

a chute having an inlet and an outlet;

a chad collection container removably supported at the outlet of said chute for receiving chad expelled from said chute; and

an overflow chamber so constructed and arranged interiorly of said chad collection container that the chamber is operable to receive chad that has backed up adjacent said chute when said chad collection container is removed, thereby preventing spillage of chad.

2. Apparatus for collecting chad as recited in claim 1 in which said chute includes an interior expanding passage increasing in cross-sectional area from the inlet end of said chute to the outlet end thereof.

3. A chad collecting apparatus as recited in claim 1 further including:

(a) means for closing the outlet end of said chute upon removal of said collection container therefrom and normally held open by said collection container.

4. Apparatus for collecting chad as recited in claim 3 in which the closing means comprises:

a door slidably mounted on said chute near the outlet end thereof; and

means for controlling the position of said door, which means co-operates with said removable chad collection container to normally hold said door in the open position when said box is supported at the outlet end of said chute.

0 which the closing means comprises:

a blade slidably mounted near the outlet end of said chute for closing the outlet; and

a lever journalled within said passage operable to slide said blade to its open position upon engagement of said collection container with the chute.

6. A chad collection apparatus as recited in claim 4 in which said control means further includes:

means for resiliently urging said door to its closed position to cover the exit end of said chute upon removal of said chad collection container from said chute. 7. A chad collection apparatus as recited in claim 3 comprising:

a spring retaining means for removably mounting said chad collection container at the outlet of said chute. 8. A chad collecting apparatus for a tape perforating mechanism comprising:

a duct means attached to said perforating mechanism and having a smaller cross-sectional area at the one end of the duct means where it attaches to said 15 mechanism and a larger cross-sectional area at the other end of the duct means from which the chad is expelled;

a chad collection means removably supported at the said other end of said duct means to receive and 20 collect the expelled chad;

a closing means resiliently urged to close the said other end of said duct means upon removal of said col lection means and normally held open by said collection means supported on said duct; and

an overflow chamber so constructed and arranged interiorly of said chad collection means that the chamber is normally covered by the other end of said duct means and operable to receive chad that has backed up against said duct means when said collection means is removed, thereby preventing spillage of chad.

References Cited FOREIGN PATENTS 2/1958 Italy. 4/1960 Switzerland. 

